The Ebon Rose of Konoha
by GargoyleSama
Summary: AU Naruto stops Sasuke at the Valley of the Lost at the cost of his life.  How does this affect the shy Hinata?  It leads her to assume the name the Ebon Rose of Kohona  Chapter 5 is UP!
1. The Ground Is Tilled

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did then I would make sure the dubs that will be seen in the U.S. are top notch.

Author's Notes: I am playing what if with this story. Please no flames about putting Hinata through the hell that is in the story. She asked if her acting skills could be shown in their fullness. I do what I can to please dark weird females, well them and red heads. This is not going to be a Naruhina story. It would be sick and wrong if it was one. I am not sure if this will be a one shot or not.

When word came forth from the scouts that the team sent to retrieve Sasuke from the sound was approaching the first person to the gates surprised everyone. Hyugga Hinata waited anxiously to catch a glimpse of one person and one person only. It's not that she didn't care about her team mate or friends on the team, or even her cousin. They were not as important to her as a certain blond shinobi. She looked at the straggling group heading towards the gate in disbelief. She brought forth her Byakugan and knew that it was wrong.

The only person that was missing was that one person. The one precious person to her. The one single person that mattered to her, or gave a damn about her wasn't with them as she charged. As she approached the group something started to change in her. The timidity that she held onto for so long was burned away by an inferno fueled by rage.

"Where is he? Where is Naruto?" she demanded from the group. When she didn't receive an answer from the disheveled group she grabbed the closest person and tossed them to the ground. "Shikamaru tell me where he is!"

"I don't know," he sighed. "He went after Sasuke. The last person to see him was Lee. There are people looking for them now."

She just walked past the group and stared into the distance. She knew something that they didn't. Something that she was trying to deny. Uzumaki Naruto wasn't returning to the village. Her dream was true and she knew that she would never hold him in her arms as he slept.

That dream, the same dream that she had dreamed for three nights in a row. Naruto did in fact catch up with Sasuke and they fought. They fought as angels and demons. Susuke had changed into a demon, and Naruto, precious Naruto turned into a being of light. Ultimately it was to no avail as the black hearted fiend that everyone adored thrust his vile hand through the kind caring heart of the much maligned orphan. She woke up screaming every time she had it.

No one had believed her, but she had been there. She knew how they would find his cold body. He had died without anyone there for him. He died how he had lived. For the sole reason she hadn't been strong enough, confident enough to tell him how she truly felt.

She bent down and stood with a fist of dirt. "I swear upon the dirt of Konoha that I will make you pay, Uchiha Sasuke. You and all of your line, all of your supporters, and all that you hold dear."

A distant sound of thunder spoke its agreement to her oath. She slowly turned to the gathered group. "They will find them in the Valley of the Last. The Uchiha will be sorely wounded. Naruto-kun will be dead with a lucky shot after Sasuke failed to stop him with two other Chidoris that destroyed his lungs. He still fought on instead of giving up." As she finished she walked by the gathered throng and headed towards the Hyugga compound and to her room to weep.

Sure to her dream they brought back Sasuke, broken and battered but tethered to life but by a thread. Crowds gathered in shocked awe wondering what happened in the fight. The shock was eliminated when they brought in the limp body of Uzumaki Naruto. Cheers rang out from withered bodies and choruses from the not so old. Confusion reigned upon the younger generation as their colleague and classmates death was celebrated. Hinata soon joined the chunnin carrying Naruto's body to the morgue of the hospital and had ignored all in her grief until she was hit by a rock thrown by a towns person. She then saw multiple rocks flying at their true target.

The snapped part in her filled with something in that instant. The normal light blue chakra was joined by another energy. She felt the energy pulse through her Keirakukei and through her Tenketsu. They were widened and she could feel the energy pull in her chest. It wasn't the feeling of chakra, but the feeling of a... flower? Her mind touched that energy and she smiled as her eyes became luminant darkness. She spun between the stones and the still form of her precious one and the energy whipped out and redirected the stones forcefully towards their hurlers.

She stopped spinning and looked at the gathered people. "I was not able to be there for him at the last part of his life, but I shall not allow any to defile his body now!"

The crowd quieted and slowly backed away from the one thought to be the shy and retiring joke of a Hyugga heiress. She turned to catch up with the now hurrying chunnin. She escorted him into, not the front of the hospital like the others that would be returning from a mission, but the back. Unseen and unknown they stopped at a door and he nodded towards it. Hinata slowly opened the door for him and there was table after table, cold unfeeling receptacles any to be chosen for the corpse of the object of her love. The chunnin laid him upon one and bowed to the still body and left, leaving Hinata to stare deeply at the hollow construct called a body.

"I am so sorry that I wasn't able to help you Naruto-kun, but I shall avenge you." She lightly kissed his cold dead lips and left the morgue.


	2. The Bush Is Planted

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto. I merely write scripts for them to play with in their off time.

Author's Notes: The Gandhara,

Thank you for your review. Dreams are powerful motive forces, especially to those that live in them. In my mind, Hinata is one of those people. She seems to live in her fantasy life where she and Naruto are together and happy, but can't act to make it so. I know where she comes from; I was that type of person for a long while. As to the details of the dream, I know people that have had dreams such as this that can tell details that clear. The thought that people that use mystical energy (That is what chakra is after all.) everyday don't or can't have precognitive dreams is a bit farfetched to me. I could be wrong.

Your second observation, she currently is in the state of shock similar to the state of the farm boy that has gone through basic and is in the middle of combat situation. She has snapped. How much of the current personality stays and how much doesn't is part of the story. In the end how much of the confidence and all stays will depend on how much she works at it. But, one must remember that the shinobi of Naruto's world have been trained to fight, kill and die from the time they were what? Five, maybe six? Think upon the latent personality just waiting after the innocence and naivety of youth is stripped away.

Thirdly, the new power and the source of it is part of the story. Just remember that all power comes at a cost.

Archangel Rhapsody, Aikuchi Shikaku, xcom1a, and Dargon Sheinto: I would like to thank you for your reviews.

It had been three days since they returned the body of Uzumaki Naruto. In those three days, Hinata had spoken to perhaps three people. It's not that more hadn't spoken to her, quite the opposite. The compound of the Hyugga clan was indeed worried when the quiet, shy, fidgeting girl stopped her nervous habits and seemed aloof and slightly annoyed by anyone's presence. There seemed to be a quiet threat to any that dared to approach her.

The people she had actually spoken with seemed to be auspicious. At the viewing of the stilled form of her heart and soul made flesh, she had approached a quietly weeping Tsunade. The maid that followed her at her father's insistence was shocked when she approached the Hokage and started to quietly talk to her. She wasn't sure what they said, but after a few minutes, she saw the Hokage nod and hug the girl and turn to leave after kissing her on the forehead.

The only other person that she talked to that night was the Toad Sannin. The conversation again was quiet and respectful. Hinata bowed to the sage and he nodded, seemingly at a request. Hinata left his presence after he clasped her shoulder slightly smiling.

As they left, the maid was curious about her actions and asked her, "Mistress, what were you speaking about?"

"Nothing to concern yourself, Ai, merely something about my position in the village, also, the possibility of training to increase my abilities."

"I still find it amazing that two of the Sannin would show up, much less weep over that…"

The sentence was stopped short by a backhand slap from Hinata. "They were there to honor a shinobi that gave his life carrying out a mission that should have been given to jounin. Not to mention someone that was constantly put down and beat down by everyone and had no one to stand up for him or comfort him.

"If I were him I would have left the village long ago, or given into it and struck back. He never did. I don't know why all of you hated him, but I saw someone that wouldn't allow himself to be beaten down by anyone."

"Until he was killed."

The glare from Hinata's translucent eyes showed a fire from the inner most ring of hell. "He wasn't beaten. He was killed, yes. By one that was his teammate, but he accomplished, not only his meeting, but also his promise to someone. Can you say that you could have done the same? I know that, as of right now, I can't." Hinata paused and looked at the older woman. "You may go home. I am fine here, and I would prefer to be alone than with someone that reviled my precious person."

With that, Hinata leapt away from the maid and away from the direction of the Hyugga compound. Soon after traveling without thought, she found herself at 'their spot'. She remembered when she saw him training here and the conversation that they had. She sighed and sat with her back to one of the trees. She thought back to the conversation that she had with the Hokage.

The Hokage had answered her question about Sasuke-bastard. She wept for the inability that she had in punishing him with his life. The council was only tempered out of their desire to keep the Sharingan alive from punishing him severely for trying to go to Orochimaru. She asked about the funeral for Naruto and was told of the small ceremony. Then, before she left the Hokage, she was told to visit her tomorrow after the ceremony for a special mission.

The conversation with Jiraiya was different. The man was all but despondent when she approached him. But when she started to talk about Naruto and how he had helped her, he seemed to perk up. After she mentioned how Naruto had been the crutch in her improvements and how she didn't know if she would be able to keep on with out him around, the Sannin offered to train her himself. He hinted at teaching her techniques that Naruto had learned and developed. She mentioned about the new feeling in the pit of her stomach and how she reacted when she felt it. He only nodded and said that he would look into it.

She sighed and looked at the trees and slowly darkness enveloped her as sleep came to her pale eyes.


	3. The Rose Buds

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did I would make sure that it was a quality dubbing.

Author's Notes: This will start to get deep. I apologize, but that is how the characters want it. There is always a reason for things that happen. No power is given for free.

* * *

Hinata looked up from where she sat against the tree. In front of her was a woman that she could tell was not from the village. She tried to get up, but found that she was unable to do so. The woman smiled at her confusion and held up her hand in a peaceful, placating way.

"Peace, young one. I am not here to cause you harm. I am here to help you at your bequest."

Hinata looked again at the woman. Her wavy black hair merged with the night sky and reflected no light, unlike her family's hair did. Her eyes were deep pools of black with no whites showing. Her olive coloured skin was covered by strange brown and black robes. She slowly sat down and smiled at the Hyugga heiress.

"W-who are you?"

The woman smiled again at her, "My apologies. I am Nemesis. I am treated as a goddess from a land far from here. I felt a cousin die in this land and came to see. I heard your hearts plea to my sphere of influence." She paused and looked at Hinata and softly stroked her cheek. "Many have called to me, but few have actually made room in themselves for me to take residence."

Hinata gulped and put her hands over her stomach. "Ano… the black energy…"

"Yes, that is a part of me. You are now an agent of mine. You are given the ability to act upon my part."

"Why would you act?"

"You are a smart child. You should have figured it out. But no matter, as I have said, I am Nemesis. I am revered as the Goddess of Retribution. I have chosen you as a host for my power."

"Retribution?"

"Payback, reward the good, punish the wicked, especially those that are excessively arrogant that type of thing. Right now, until you learn to fully use the powers that I have given you, you will only be able to manifest them when you see and hear actions that would bring about my wrath. Also you are impervious to harm whenever my mother's veil covers the world."

A puzzled look crossed Hinata's face, "Your mother's veil?"

"Apologies, I forget that this part of the world is unfamiliar with my heritage. My mother is Nyx, the night."

"And your father?" asked Hinata curiously.

"I have no father. My mother brought myself and my siblings out of herself." Nemesis stood up and looked deeply into Hinata. "Rest tonight, tomorrow night your body should have fully adjusted to the energy and we will start you training."

"Training?"

"I know of no other to teach you how to use my power but myself. You should probably awaken now. I will be with you with but a thought of my name." All of a sudden, Nemesis was no longer in her sight, nor was anything else. Darkness enveloped her and then she opened her eyes from sleep.

She looked around and noticed that it was still the deep of night. She stretched her lithe body as she stood and started to move towards the compound of her family. The walls loomed into her vision as she approached. The guards at the gate were about to challenge her but stepped away as they saw her and her upright bearing and felt the energy emanating from her form.

As she approached her room, she saw her father standing in the hallway outside of her door. There was no pause in her step or waver in her voice. Her pale eyes looked into his. "May I help you, Father?"

She didn't flinch at his stern gaze. "Ai said that you struck her."

"I did. She questioned the actions of the Hokage and spoke ill of some one that I consider precious, even if he is dead."

Hinata could see her father's anger rise. "You had no right to do that. She was well justified in her statements."

"No Father she was not." Hinata moved to get by her father and return to the relative safety of her room. She was not successful as he grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"You will apologize to her. And do not think that you will not. I command it as head of this house!"

"Why are you the head of the house?"

"Because I am the strongest."

"Nemesis," whispered Hinata. She looked at her father defiantly, "The strongest in the house?"

"Yes, if not the whole village."

"Stronger than the Hokage?"

"Yes."

"Stronger than me?"

"A hundred times, no… a thousand times stronger than you."

Hinata saw the woman from the clearing standing now behind her father. She was smiling and nodded and heard in her ear, "Yes, he is worthy of my attention. I will stand with you, child."

Hinata grinned a sinister grin, "Very well, Father, I will apologize if you can defeat me. If I defeat you, then you will have to acknowledge that Uzumaki Naruto was a better ninja than you are."

He let go of her arm in shock, "WHAT?"

Hinata turned and headed to the training room, "I will be awaiting for you, Father, if you find the conditions acceptable."

* * *

Author's Notes: Yes, Nemesis is a Greek Goddess. I am not clear enough on Eastern religions, besides Hinduism, to use one from that area. I could have used Kali instead, but I am more comfortable writing Nemesis. Also, I feel that for the story that she would fit in better than the Black Mother, though it is interesting that Nemesis is the daughter of Nyx, who in the Grecian mythos is the night sky (i.e. the void) which is one of the roles of Kali.

Beyond that, there will be more on the reason that she is in the story later.

I said that this was getting deep.


	4. The Rose Blooms

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Weep for me! Come on, weep. A tear anyone? Gee thanks.

Author's Notes: Thank you all for your reviews, I received more than I had expected. As to the length of my work, a lot of it is done at work in slow times. I also write a scene and then end the chapter. I find that this causes fewer problems with view point. It's my style, or lack there of.

#Talk# is thought talk.

Hinata stood in the dimly lit training room the door to the outside area was open and a cool light breeze played with her short hair. She took a deep breath and smiled as she looked up to the ceiling. She looked around. No one had come into the room, though she could hear them massed outside of the paper walls.

#Child, allow me into you.#

"Why?"

#I can control the power within you now. You will not be able to use it to its fullest ability. I can. We will show all those that watch your new power and this will give you a chance to see what can be done with some of it.#

Hinata nodded her head, "Yes. Will it hurt?"

Nemesis chuckled, #No, child. Relax and it will all be done.#

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath and as she let it out Nemesis slid into her form. Hinata's eyes opened and she looked out. Her arms moved and she panicked slightly. #Relax child I am just loosening you up some. You should talk to me in your head. We don't want people to think that you have suffered moon madness and are talking to yourself.#

#You are right.# Hinata 'watched' herself go through motions of a taijutsu style that she had never seen before. It was more power oriented than the Gentle Fist style that she was used to using. Many of the strikes that she felt her body using were from very close in. She knew that from the angles and positions that they were meant to break or shatter various bones, or to cause deep damage, perhaps to vital organs.

#Now, my little one, allow me to show you a few things.# She held out Hinata's hand and the energy streamed out of her and formed what looked to be a whip. #This is a scourge. It can have from one tail to nine. I think that it would be appropriate for you to become skilled in the nine tailed version, in remembrance of your heart's beating force. The difference between this and a whip is obvious if you look at it.# She held it up to Hinata's eyes. #See the barbs and other pieces braided into the tail? That is the difference. Mostly this was used in punishing people, though in our hands it is a weapon of retribution. I don't think that you could handle a sword of mine yet, but this, your body can make good use of.#

In her own mind, Hinata shuddered. #We will not…#

#Kill your father? No. But he will hurt. He will feel pain; he will know the suffering that he has caused. Be prepared for here he comes. I will speak through you. Fear not, we are one.#

Hiashi slid the door open and stepped through looking at his daughter. He noticed that his daughter's head was looking at the floor. He half sighed and growled at her weakness. He almost felt pride in her challenge of him. Now he knew that she was just acting like a weak love sick child. As he approached her, he noticed a coiled object in her right hand. When he stood in front of her and cleared his throat, she looked up and saw her eyes. His pale Hyugga skin went paler.

The eyes of a Hyugga were always pale. From birth to death, even if they did not have the Byakugan, they were always pale. Looking into Hinata's eyes showed what one could have seen looking into the night sky, or to a bottomless cavern. A mocking half grin formed on her delicate face. This would have been totally out of place on her, except for now it matched her body posture. At last, she spoke to him.

"So, Father, are you ready to begin? Are you ready for me to show you the true meaning of the word 'Power'?"

With this statement rage forced shock from him and he dropped into his fighting stance. He nodded and brought his hands toward his face. "Byaku…"

He wasn't able to finish the word, or bring the chakra to his eyes. Hinata/Nemesis lashed the scourge towards him. It wrapped around his left arm and when it was pulled back the items woven into its braid pierced, cut, and tore at the flesh of his arm. His eyes followed the trail of blood that the tail of the weapon drew from him.

"Now I play," were the cold words that came from the mouth of his daughter as she leaped over his head and again sent the coiled viper of a weapon at him.

Seeing the weapon approaching, he did the one thing that he knew would stop it. "Kaiten," came the words as his body began to spin and encompassed itself in a sphere of spinning chakra.

Hinata landed outside of the area of influence of the blast of chakra, the scourge on the other hand trailed behind her and was pulled into the spinning energy, wrapping around the sphere multiple times.

Hinata/Nemesis smiled as the sphere dissipated. She pulled quickly and the scourge was wrapped around Hiashi's throat. A quick, strong pull moved him off balance. Suddenly Hinata was behind him, tripping him to the ground and grinding the handle of the scourge into the small of his back.

"I believe that I am the victor here. Tomorrow before Naruto's service, you will make the announcement that we agreed upon in the town square. I am now going to go and clean up. You should have your wounds looked at."

Nemesis left Hinata's body as she arose. By the time she faced the door, the black eyes were gone, replaced by her pale violet ones. The scourge dissipated into the night as she left the room. A wide berth was given to her as she approached her private suite, head held high.


	5. A Rose in the Morning

Disclaimer: We all know who owns Naruto, and it isn't a six foot one inch tall gaijin with just over shoulder length black hair. So, let's get on with the story, shall we?

-

#Mind Speech#

-

Hinata awoke the next morning and cleansed herself. She dressed in her funerary clothes and exited her rooms. As she walked down the hall, she noticed instead of the cut eyes and snickering, there were bowed heads, and murmuring, most likely of the fight last night. It was still unreal in her mind, that her body was used as somewhat a puppet by an actual goddess.

As strange as it sounded, Hinata believed it. There was no other way that she would know about foreign deities, or explain away the black energy, that she could now feel coursing in her body. She reached out to it and felt it, and coaxed a little of it to the tenketsus in her eyes. If she had thought this through more, she wouldn't have done so while walking in the hall. The result was all together different from the Byakugan.

Instead of seeing all around her, she saw straight ahead, without any peripheral vision, this startled her, but when she looked at someone, there was a scale above them, some leaning to one side, some to the others, but none of them were balanced. With a gasp, she bade the energy back down and away from her eyes.

Trepidatiously a young maid from the branch house approached her, being prodded from behind. "Hinata-sama, are you alright?" came the timid, frightened voice.

"A-ano, I am. I am sorry to have worried you." She searched for a plausible reasoning for her actions. "My friend's funeral is today, and it is hard upon me."

The maid slightly nodded, "I understand, my lady, I had a friend that was killed when the Sound and the Sand attacked. I was out of sorts for days, if not weeks." The maid moved closer and spoke quietly to Hinata, so that she alone could hear, "I mean not to out step my place, ma'am, but the pain doesn't truly go away, but it does lessen. It does help if you talk to someone about it, though. If you would like, I could be that person, since I understand some of what you are going through."

Hinata placed her hand upon the maid's arm, "I think that I would like that. May I ask your name?"

The maid nodded, "It is Yori."

"Yori, who are you working with?"

"I am working with Mai today."

Hinata turned around and saw the older woman. "Mai, Yori will be with me as my entourage today, please go and have someone else assigned to help you on my orders." Hinata paused remembering the woman, Mai, was always kind to her. From time to time, she would make comments about how much like her mother Hinata was, "Make it two people and you may take the rest of the day off once you are through with your assignment." Turning to Yori, "Do you have clothes appropriate for funeral wear?"

Yori nodded in disbelief, "Hai, Mistress, I do."

"Then please go prepare, and meet me in the dining room. We shall go out after I am finished with breakfast," instructed Hinata.

Yori bowed to the Hyugga heiress and left quickly. Hinata turned around and began to walk towards the familial dining room.

#Very well handled, daughter of my spirit. #

Hinata smiled at the praise, #Thank you, my goddess, I did but what I thought was right, and at this time, I feel that I do need someone with me. #

Hinata could see Nemesis in her mind, walking beside her, #Last night I taught you a lesson in administrating justice on those that are deserving of punishment. Today, you demonstrated that you already know how to reward those that are worthy of kindness. #

Hinata opened the door of the dining room and entered. She turned around, closed the door, and turned back to the table. She saw her father sitting, bandaged around his arm and throat. She moved to the table and sat in her normal position, to her father's right. Hanabi was already sitting across the table from her, on his left. The look from her sister was odd.

The look was not the normal condescending look of contempt that had been ingrained into her, but one of revulsion and bordering on hate. Again, Hinata reached to the black energy and brought it to her eyes. With Hanabi in front of her Hinata couldn't help but see the scales over her head. They were overbalanced to the extreme and not towards the same direction as Mai or Yori. Willing the energy to return to its source Hinata broke the silence, "Father, I hope you are well, and not to injured to carry out your part of our bargain."

"Do not fret, Daughter, I will carry through with it."

As Hinata nodded and continued with her meal, Hanabi slammed her hand upon the table. "How did you trick Father like that? There is no way you could have beaten him! You can't even beat me, Loser! How could you make him do something like this? He will be disgraced!"

#Child, if you wish… #

#It is okay, there is a proper time and place for all actions. #

Nemesis nodded in Hinata's mind's eye, # You have accepted more of me into your countenance than I had hoped. I am very pleased in you. #

Hinata smiled at the praise from the goddess, but then looked dead-on towards her younger sister, "And if I had made it a challenge for leadership of the clan, then what? I would be at the head of the table, and you would have a seal upon your forehead, dear sister. Is it that you are angry for what I did to Father, or the fact that you could never hope to come close to accomplishing it? Is it you that you are angry at for allowing such a weak person to do something that you will never have a chance to do?"

Hanabi growled and stood up; she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. After watching her leave the room Hinata turned to her father, "Otou-san, there is one thing that this clan lacks. It lacks humility. I would suggest that you work on that, or the consequences could be… horrible."

The rest of the meal was finished in silence. As Hinata finished, Yori was allowed into the room and knelt, waiting patiently for her mistress to indicate that she was ready to leave. Taking her father's grunt for permission to leave the table she stood and left the room followed by Yori.


End file.
